By Ryoichi Matsumoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:10 JST, March 19, 2025

The Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-2026 (fiscal 2025) season will begin on April 16. The orchestra, known as the YNSO or Yomikyo, will be led by illustrious conductors — from familiar names like Sebastian Weigle and Sylvain Cambreling to various guest conductors, including world-famous maestro Kent Nagano. The new season will showcase many celebrated soloists as well, including pianist Kyohei Sorita and violinists Isabelle Faust and Akiko Suwanai.

April to June

The season opener will be conducted by Oksana Lyniv from Ukraine. It will be the first time for her to conduct the YNSO. Currently music director at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Lyniv made her name mainly in opera conducting. In recent years she has garnered high praise for conducting orchestral concerts as well.

She will conduct two programs with the YNSO in April, one with Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, and the other featuring Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Bartok’s “The Miraculous Mandarin” suite. Expectations are high for her performance, honed by conducting operas.

In May, honorary guest conductor Tadaaki Otaka will take on “Eine Symphonische Phantasie ‘Steppe’” by his father, composer-conductor Hisatada Otaka, along with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 (Cohrs edition). Rarely performed, “Steppe” is a must-hear piece.

In June, YNSO’s principal conductor Weigle will perform three programs with three popular soloists. Widely beloved pianist Kyohei Sorita will play Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Richard Strauss’ Burleske; violinist Augustin Hadelich, who hails from Italy and is making a career in the United States, will take on Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto; and 15-year-old trumpet prodigy Hayato Kodama will be the soloist for Trumpet Concerto by Weinberg, whose works are being rediscovered and revisited as of late.

July to September

July will see Sylvain Cambreling, a conductor laureate of the YNSO and former principal conductor until 2019. He will conduct the orchestra again after conducting a concert last year.

One of the two programs he will take on features “Lotus under the Moonlight — hommage a Mozart (homage to Mozart) ” by Toshio Hosokawa with pianist Tomoki Kitamura as soloist and the Japanese premiere of “Schumann-Phantasie” by German conductor-composer Hans Zender. The other program brings together such popular pieces as Gershwin’s Piano Concerto with Lise de la Salle as soloist and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Both programs seem promising for enjoying the signature colorfulness of Cambreling’s conducting.

Another highlight in July is the Japan debut of Delyana Lazarova, a female conductor from Bulgaria whose program includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.”

In August, Juraj Valcuha, the Slovakian conductor appointed as the YNSO’s principal guest conductor last season, will take up “Das Lied von der Erde” by Mahler, whose works he has focused on in recent years. The performance will be joined by mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston and tenor Clay Hilley.

Please refer to the article below for more information on Kent Nagano, the great maestro who will perform with the YNSO for the first time in September as guest conductor.

October to December

Weigle will return to Japan in October to conduct Russian music, which he excels in. It will be a good opportunity to hear some rarely performed Russian gems from the 20th century, such as Mosolov’s chaotic symphonic episode “Iron Foundry,” as well as his Harp Concerto with virtuoso harpist Xavier de Maistre as soloist, as well as one of Shostakovich’s final works, Symphony No. 15.

Another notable feature of the month is that Edward Gardner, the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal conductor, will perform with the YNSO for the first time. The British conductor will put himself to the test with a popular program of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with Pavel Kolesnikov as soloist) and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.

One more YNSO debutant will stand on the podium in November — Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu, chief conductor of the Finnish National Opera. He will conduct Symphony No. 7 by compatriot Sibelius. In the first half of the musically luxurious concert, virtuoso Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski will serve as the soloist for Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Kazuki Yamada, current music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and YNSO’s principal guest conductor until last year, will conduct the opera “Yuzuru” by Ikuma Dan in a concert-style performance at the Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall in November. Don’t miss the chance to see this one-day-only performance!

Come December, it’s time for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral.” French conductor Maxime Pascal will be entrusted with conducting the must-hear musical event for the year’s close. It will be exciting to see what kind of Ninth Symphony the talented maestro, known for his vast repertoire and resourceful music-making, will offer.

January to March in 2026

Weigle’s third time conducting the YNSO’s new season will take place in January 2026 and showcase the season’s biggest attraction — the Japan premiere of Pfitzner’s Cantata “Von Deutscher Seele” (A German soul).

One of the other two programs led by Weigle in the same month will see internationally acclaimed violinist Isabelle Faust play Schumann’s Violin Concerto, which is sure to be a fan favorite. The concert will also include Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish.” Take note that in another program, the YNSO’s concertmaster Yusuke Hayashi and its solo cellist Mari Endo will serve as the soloists for Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello.

In February, young British conductor Kerem Hasan will return to conduct the YNSO for the first time in two years, taking on Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan” and South Korean female composer Unsuk Chin’s “Subito con forza” (Suddenly with power). The soloist for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at the same concert will be promising young pianist Yumeka Nakagawa, who was born in Germany.

Swiss maestro Mario Venzago, known for his interpretations of Bruckner works, will make his third visit to the YNSO after 2021 and 2023. This time, he will conduct Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7. Please refer to a separate article for a new piece composed by Misato Mochizuki, which will be played in the first half of the concert.

Toshiyuki Kamioka, who is enjoying a successful career in Germany, where he is based, will be joined by up-and-coming 20-year-old cellist Sakura Toba in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme.” The second half of the concert will be devoted to Ravel’s “Bolero.” Kamioka is also slated to appear in the Yomikyo Ensemble Series chamber music concert in the same month.

Masato Suzuki, associate conductor and creative partner of the YNSO and principal conductor of Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ), will conduct three programs in March. The highlight will be Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, performed with the BCJ’s chorus. It will prove an interesting occasion to listen to the Mendelssohn arrangement of the work, which led to the revival of Bach in the 19th century.

Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” and Stravinsky’s ballet music “Le sacre du printemps” (The Rite of Spring) will be among the works Suzuki conducts in the other two programs, guaranteed to be an interesting combination as the conductor takes pride in his wide repertoire.

Weigle eager to conduct Japanese premiere of Pfitzner

Last autumn, Sebastian Weigle, the principal conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (YNSO), successfully led the orchestra on its first tour of Europe in nine years. The German maestro recently spoke with The Yomiuri Shimbun about the highlights and interesting programs in the new season as well as his views on music.

The Yomiuri Shimbun: How was the European tour?

Sebastian Weigle: During the tour, we played at a different venue almost every day, moving from one city to another, from Germany to Britain. It takes a huge toll on orchestra members, but then it becomes their sustenance for the next day. The experience of willingly putting themselves in a new environment and making music together is immensely beneficial to them as humans and definitely raises the performance standard.

Last splendor of the Romantics

Yomiuri: This season, you will conduct the Japanese premiere of a piece by Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949).

Weigle: Hans Pfitzner is a composer-conductor who represented the last splendor of the German Romantics. His life was full of turns and twists, and his drastic political remarks and actions deprived his works of the opportunity to gain the appreciation they deserved. His most important work is the cantata “Von Deutscher Seele” (A German soul), which was composed in 1921.

Pfitzner is the polar opposite of Hanns Eisler (1898-1962). I performed with the Yomikyo the Japanese premiere of his “Deutsche Sinfonie” (German Symphony) in 2023. In the 1930s, Eisler opposed the rising Nazis and defected to the United States, while Pfitzner was a hardcore conservative who was favored by the Nazis at one point. His musical style defied the new musical tide of the 20th century. He avoided analytic approaches and valued inspiration.

Six years ago, I conducted Pfitzner’s Cello Concerto with the Yomikyo, which led to me being fascinated by his energetic and lyrical music. I became particularly interested in his songs. Then the opportunity arose for me to conduct the Japanese premiere of “Von Deutscher Seele.”

Misleading title

Yomiuri: What are the points to listen to in “Von Deutscher Seele”?

Weigle: I think this title can cause misunderstanding. [Joseph von] Eichendorff’s poems, which are used as the text, are romantic and praise universal beauty. They have no political element. Pfitzner is essentially a composer of German songs, and while adhering to their styles, he used sophisticated harmonies and created sweet melodies. I hope the focus is purely on the music when listening to the work.

Yomiuri: What about your other programs?

Weigle: I like Russian music very much, so I chose 20th-century Russian composer Mosolov’s works to be performed before Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique.” [Mosolov’s] orchestral episode “Iron Foundry” is an avant-garde work in which loud sounds resonate continuously, while his harp concerto emphasizes the colorful sounds of the harp. I feel proud that they will make a good combination.

As for Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15, I have never conducted it up until now. That’s why I strongly feel the desire to do so now. I myself look forward to what kind of performance it will be.

Yomiuri: How do you feel about the six years that have passed since your appointment as the principal conductor of the YNSO?

Weigle: After working together many times, I now find communicating with the orchestra members very comfortable. They are quick to catch the image of music I want to convey to them. I’m glad that the orchestra as a whole is in very good shape and is willing to make further progress on its own.

Yomiuri: It has been announced that your tenure as the principal conductor has been extended until March 2028.

Weigle: The past six years have been the most important years of my career as a conductor. More than anything else, it’s thanks to my being able to build a good relationship with the orchestra. There are many more things I’d like to do with them. An opera, too, if possible. I’d love to go on a journey of new discoveries with them.

Maestro Kent Nagano to make much-awaited YNSO appearance

Of all the conductors coming from overseas to perform with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in its new season, Kent Nagano is sure to generate the most buzz. The Japanese American maestro will conduct the YNSO for the first time in September.

Born in 1951, Nagano is currently the general music director of the Hamburg State Opera. He has previously held various prominent positions, such as music director of the Lyon Opera, general music director of the Bavarian State Opera, artistic director and chief conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, music director of Los Angeles Opera and music director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Nagano’s conducting is highly acclaimed both in operas and concerts. He also has a wide repertoire, ranging from classics to contemporary works. Through his innovative programs, he has brought a breath of fresh air to the Western classical music scene.

Nagano will conduct two programs with the YNSO, one being Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 “Lied der Nacht” (Song of the night). The other will showcase Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 “The Great,” to be combined with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 with Benedetto Lupo as soloist and the world premiere of a new work by Ichiro Nodaira. It will be intriguing to hear how the YNSO responds to the direction by Nagano, who is known for creating exquisite and meticulously controlled sounds and thoroughly interpreting musical scores.

Composer Mochizuki’s new work inspired by violinist Suwanai

Composer Misato Mochizuki said the starting point for writing her new work, commissioned by the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, was the immensely polished sounds and sheer presence of violinist Akiko Suwanai.

Suwanai will be the soloist for the yet untitled piece when it has its world premiere at the YNSO’s concert on Feb. 4, 2026.

The commission materialized after Mochizuki composed a small piece for a chamber ensemble in 2022 at Suwanai’s request.

“I’m going to write [the new work] imagining how her powerful solo playing leads the orchestra,” Berlin-based Mochizuki recently told The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Mochizuki is known for creating unique compositions inspired by various aspects of life and the universe. According to her, fermentation is the central motif of the new work. “A sound is dissolved, morphs and becomes regenerated. The soloist is the medium for those chemical reactions and gets them across to the orchestra. I’d like to expand on such an image,” she said.

Mochizuki’s “Meteorites,” commissioned by the YNSO in 2002, was premiered by the orchestra under the baton of the then principal conductor, Gerd Albrecht. The work won much praise when the YNSO performed it during its European tour in 2003.

Mochizuki said she listened to the YNSO’s concert in Berlin last autumn and felt that the orchestra had an even better balance in its sounds than before, probably thanks to an increase in young members.

“I’d like to write a piece that lets the audience savor the beauty of Yomikyo’s sounds,” she said.

Annual subscriptions

Annual membership tickets for the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-26 season are now on sale. The tickets are available for seven series: the Subscription Concerts, the Popular Series, the Saturday Matinee Series, the Sunday Matinee Series, the Yokohama Matinee Series, the Subscription Concerts in Osaka and the Yomikyo Ensemble Series. Discounted student memberships are available for students aged 25 or younger.

To purchase subscription series tickets, call (0570) 00-4390 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (in Japanese) or visit the online ticket service site for the orchestra (https://yomikyo.pia.jp/) — Saturday and Sunday Matinee Series concerts are only available via phone.

For information in English, visit the English-language page on the YNSO’s official website (https://yomikyo.or.jp/e/).

In addition to saving on per-ticket prices, subscribers can also enjoy various benefits, such as a complimentary CD.